Current-wheel and float therefor



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I A.-D. CLARKE.

CURRENT WHEEL AND FLOATS THEREFOR. No. 249,899.. 9 Patented Nov. 22,1881.

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(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. D. CLARKE.

CURRENT WHEEL AND FLOATS THEREFOR. No. 249,899. Patented N0v..22,1881.

QWHNEEEEE INVENTEIRi N. PETERS PhnwLnho n r-nr. wauhin mn, D. C.

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A. D. CLARKE.

CURRENT WHEEL AND 'FLOATS THEREFOR.

No. 249,899. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

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ALEXANDER D. CLARKE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

CURRENT-WHEEL AND FLOAT THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,899, dated November 22, 1881.

Application filed April 18, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ALEXANDER, D. CLARKE, of the cityof Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current- WVheels and Floats Therefor, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to pumping apparatus for use in raising water from running streams, and is more especially designed for use in the mining regions for elevating the water to be used in washing ores and mineral-containing earth.

The invention consists in the novel combination and construction of the several devices hereinafter described.

The accompanying drawings show, at Fig- -ures l and 6, opposite sides of, my improved apparatus; at Figs. 2 and 7, bottom and top views, respectively, of the same at Figs. 3 and 4, details of the current wheel whereby the pump is actuated, Fig. 3 being a partial vertical or edge view, illustrating the different positions of the vanes, and Fig. 4 a radial section; and at Fig. 5 a section of the raft for floating the wheel and pump upon the line 00 m, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a section of an end of one of the air-holding pipes forming the float.

In the said drawings, A represents a raft composed of a frame-work, A, and several series of air-containing vessels, A held in the frame-work and formed of stove-pipe lengths closed at the ends by plugs a, of wood or otherwise, and rendered tight and rust-proof by a coating, to, of coal-tar or its equivalent. In many sections where lumber is scarce this will be found more economical than wood for floating the raft. I prefer that the raft be made in two parts, united by braces or timbers B, or otherwise, so that an opening, B, will be left over the wheel, as that permits access to the wheel or its removal for repairs.

0 is ahorizontal current-wheel, placed immediatelybelow the raft, with its shaft 0 extending up above the same and provided with bearings at two points, one in one of the cross-timbers, 13, and the other in a spider-like framin g, 0 above the raft, to keep it perfectly true under the varying side strains to which it is (Model) subjected. The wheel is made with open light frame work, so the water may pass freely through it, such frame-work consisting of top and bottom peripheral bands, 0, top and bottom hub-plates, 0, upon the wheel-shaft, outer vertical braces, 0 inner vertical braces, 0 upper radial arms, 0*, serving as pivots for the swinging vanes 0 and extending from the upper hub-plate to the outer braces, 0 and lower radial arms, 0 extending from the lower hubplate to outer braces, 0 This framework,

while it possesses all requisite strength, is very light and will offer but slight resistance to the current; butit may be made in other fashions of open framing, if desired, and combined with the other parts of my apparatus. The paddles or vanes O of this wheel are hinged to the rods 0 by loose hinges 0 located near the upper edge of the paddles, so that said paddles, unless supported in some way, will fall by their gravity into a vertical position against the vertical rods 0 When in the vertical position the current strikes them squarely and against their entire surface, but in order that they may not retard the wheel duringthat part of the revolution in which they are going against the current I raise the paddles while they are passing through that portion of their circuit by means of a slideway, D, supported by arms (I, which slide is located within the circle described by the ends of the paddles, so that the latter will ride upon the same, said slide being bent at the ends to render gradual and easy the closing of the vanes. When closed by this slide the vanes lie horizontally and cut through instead of resisting the current.

In Fig. 3 thereis illustrated at the right hand the vertical or working position, at the center a partially-closed position, and at the left hand the closed position. Friction upon this slide will be very slight, as allof the parts are submerged.

At the outer end of the vanes are angling flanges 0 for the purpose of holding the water which may be pressing against the vanes, so the full benefit of its motion may be obtained.

Above the raft the wheel-sh aft carries a large pulley, G a belt or chain, 0 from which transmits power to another pulley, E,mounted upon the shaft E of a centrifugal-pump wheel cated below the raft in a casing, E, having holes 0 at the bottom, said shaft being provided with two bearings, one in the timber B below and the other in a tripod or spider-frame, E above. The pipe E leads from the pumpchamher E and conducts the pumped water away to the desired point.

The pump and the wheel are both removable by taking out the fastenings of the spidert'rames above them and the cross-braces B, through which their shafts pass. These fastenings consist of the bolts Gr or any other suitable devices. When the frames and braces are taken away there is no obstacle to prevent the wheel or pump being moved through the opening B until their shafts have passed beyond such opening; or, if depth of water will permit, they may be tipped upon edge and then lifted out through the opening.

My raft is very light, so as to draw but a few inches of water, and the wheel I have also made so as to permit its use in very shallow streams. By this combination one of the objects sought for is accomplished. It permits the use of the apparatus in streams where the ordinary devices of this kind would be useless by reason of the lack of sufficient depth of water.

The wheel may be made to act in very slow stream by making it sufiiciently large in diameter.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the raft floated by air-containin g tubes, substantially as set forth, of the horizontal current-wheel and the pump, and devices for conveying power from the wheel to the pump, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the raft having the opening B, of the wheel supported upon a vertical shaft located in said opening, and removable bearin gs for said shaft, substantially as specified.

3. The wheel 0, consisting of the hinged vanes 0 and the open frame-work composed of the bands 0 c, hub-plates 0 upon the wheelshaft, vertical braces 0 c and radial arms'c and 0 substantially as set forth.

ALEXANDER D. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EVERETT BROWN. 

